Taxes: Writing off job hunting expenses

[sadlebred]

As ya'll know I am now job hunting. I have some expenses associated with it: website fees to sign up for premium IT sites (lots of folks get jobs from these), business cards to hand out at an upcoming IT career fair, mileage to and from the career fair, and I'm sure there will be more.

Does anyone know if you can write these off if you itemize? You used to be able to, but this tidbit on the IRS website suggests maybe not.

www.irs.gov/newsroom/what-if-i-am-searching-for-a-job

I'm pausing charity donations for now as I cut expenses, so I'd like to be able to write off something.

[mainelyfoolish]

Those job hunting expenses are currently not deductible. Prior to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, you could include those in miscellaneous itemized deductions, but miscellaneous items that totaled under 2% of your AGI were never deductible anyway.

The link you posted mentions moving expenses related to taking a new job, which are also not currently deductible unless it’s for active duty military PCS.

[jwright]

Agree that none of what you describe would be deductible if you get/have a W-2 job.

Could you take a freelance job or two so that you could write off expenses against that business income?

[sadlebred]

jwright Unfortunately for what I do I don't really freelance. I do have a website I run as a hobby business (along with my bike race photography), but that's a separate thing. The business cards specifically say "Sadlebred, Senior IT Professional" and my LinkedIn profile. My hobby business cards say "Sadlebred, Publisher/Photograher-mywebsite.com."

Hmmm...maybe I can find a local shop that needs some photography or social media updates for the holidays.